Modern Sai
by Lady J
Summary: This story takes place in AU, where Fujiwara Sai never existed in the past. Thus, never haunted Hikaru. The Sai in this universe is a top Go pro in the 20th21st century. [suspended for now]


**Disclaimer:** HnG does not belong to me. (but Isumi does...mwahahaha...I wish...)

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"Look! This might be good!" Shindou Hikaru picked up the goban and studied it closely. "Looks like an antique. Grandpa must've used it a long time ago. I can probably sell this for some good money."

"You sure it's ok, Hikaru?" His best friend, Akari asked, uncertain.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Hikaru assured her, wiping the dust of the treasure he discovered up in his grandfather's attic. "My allowance got cut since I received only 8% on the last test. Come on, Akari. Help me with this."

The two friends carried the goban down the stairs carefully, passed the door of the storage room, where Hikaru's grandfather was watching their every single movement. When they finally realized that they were being watched, they froze. Hikaru slowly turned to look at the old man. "Hi, Grandpa, whacha doing here?" he gave a guilty grin.

"Catching thieves," The old man replied calmly, glaring at the boy. "What about you, Hikaru?"

"Eh? Umm... I was... uh..." The boy looked at Akari, who was staring back straight at him helplessly. "Uh...we wanted to play this board game."

His grandfather's face brightened. "Really? You play Go, Hikaru?"

"Uh, a little," Hikaru's limited Go knowledge came from the popular Shounen manga/anime, _Hakuro no Go_ and the first few episodes of _Go Go Igo_.

"Why don't you play me," the man waved them toward the living room eagerly. "I'm pretty good you know?"

Hikaru and Akari followed him reluctantly, and put the goban down. Suddenly, shiny trophies and plagues magically appeared in front of them. "Look, these are my Go awards." The old man bragged.

"Oh, umm, ok," Hikaru said, trying to figure a way out. "Can I have this goban, Grandpa?"

"We are not using that goban. That goban is supposedly haunted by a ghost. It was left behind by my brother," he explained.

'Ooh, haunted by a ghost? I can probably sell this for an even higher price then,' the young boy estimated the price silently. "But you don't need it anymore, right? Can I have it?" The boy begged, hands on the old board.

"Sorry, kid. I promised someone that I'd always leave it in the attic," he explained, shaking his head.

"So this person is more importantly than your grandson?" Hikaru whined, determined to leave with the antique. Beside him, Akari nudged him, "Hikaru!"

"It's Fujiwara Sai," his grandfather said proudly, indicating his connection with the most infamous top Go pro.

"Who?" the boy had never heard of the name before, lost. The old man's eyes widened in surprise, "YOU DON'T KNOW FURJIWARA SAI??"

"Umm...Fuji-wara, eh?" Hikaru repeated the unfamiliar name, realizing that the situation was not getting better at all. "But this is YOUR goban, Grandpa! He has no rights to tell you what to do with it."

"Neither do you!" The old man yelled at his spoiled grandson angrily. Without another word, Hikaru and Akari got kicked out immediately. 

The two preteens headed toward the train station. The girl followed right behind the boy silently as Hikaru muttered under his breath. His hands inside his pockets. "Fujiwara Sai, huh? Getting in my way of earning some big bucks..." 

"I wonder who he is," His female friend wondered. "From your grandpa's reaction, he must be somebody famous." 

"Probably some Go player," Hikaru assumed and stopped his pace. Suddenly, he waved his fists in the air, yelling, "I won't give up until I get my hands on that goban!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME, FUJIWARA SAI!!!" 

"Yes, I can hear you," a slender-looking man stood tall in front of him, staring at him coolly. He had long purple hair just past his shoulders, tied into a pony tail. He was dressed in a maroon shirt with a yellow tie. His jacket draped upon his left arm and a closed fan in his right hand. Hikaru estimated his age around his late twenties, possibly thirties. 

Feeling a little embarrassed, the boy grinned, "Uh...hi, sorry for yelling. I am having a bad day." He recalled getting the terrible test back, then getting his allowance cut, and now, his grandfather wouldn't let him have the goban. Hikaru couldn't help but sighed.

"But what did I do?" The man narrowed his eyes a bit, looking at the boy questionably.

"Eh?" Hikaru waved his hands frantically before him. "It wasn't you, sir!"

"I thought I heard you say Fujiwara Sai," The man replied. Those observant eyes of his freaked the boy out as they did not leave him the entire time. It felt as if he could see through him. 

"Y-You are Fujiwara-san?" Hikaru stammered, forcing a smile.

Sai closed his eyes, and nodded, enjoying the imagined admiring looks on the kids' faces. He had mistaken the boy's stammering as a result of his nervousness caused by meeting a celebrity. Hikaru looked at Akari, and a light bulb hung over his head. "See, I saw this goban that I really really like at my grandpa's place, but he said he promised you that he would keep it in the attic. I got really disappointed and hope that you would let me have the goban," Hikaru made up a story fluently and praying for Sai to fall for it.

"No," the pro simply refused.

"Why not???" the boy demanded an explanation, hands turned into fists as he took a step forward the man.

"Do you even know how to play Go?" Sai doubtfully looked down at Hikaru.

"Uh..y-ya. Of course I do," the blond kid recalled several episodes of _Go Go Igo _and_ Ikaru no Go_. The only Go terms he could recall were "Atari", "Nigiri", and "Eye".

"If you defeat me, I'll give you that goban. Deal?" Sai offered with a smirk, knowing that the boy could never beat him, the 4-title holder pro. He tapped his fan on his curved lips lightly.

"Deal!" Hikaru accepted the offer without a second thought. Not knowing what 'defeating Fujiwara Sai' meant, he pointed his index finger at the man determinely. "Just watch! I'll beat the arrogant Fujiwara Sai in no time!"

"Good, let's go," the man walked toward and past the two.

"W-wait!" The boy called, reaching his hand out to him. Sai turned around, giving him a you-chickened-out? look. Hikaru crossed his arms and looked away, mumbling, "I didn't say now. I haven't played for a while, so I need to get warmed up." He stole a glance of Sai to observe his reaction, then suggested. "How about when I'm ready, I'll let you know?" Hikaru had made the deal with him earlier only because he didn't want to lose face. He would definitely embarrass himself if he plays Sai, and he knew that as a fact. Before Sai had a chance to respond, Hikaru grabbed Akari and escaped quickly, leaving the pro standing on the empty street.

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**A/N: **Didn't go through much editing, so...please just bear with it! **Review!!!!**


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